Shoe



March 31, 1931. M. FEINSTEIN SHOE Filed Feb. 12, 1930 INVENTOR MAX FEINSTHN BY 4mm @L ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAX FEINSTEIN, OF CORONA, NEW YORK, ASSIGIN'OR T0 CHARLES MILLER, OF LONG ISLAND crry,

NEW YORK SHOE This invention relates to the shoe art and deals more specifically with new and improved shoe uppers structure.

In the manufacture of ladies pumps and I slippers, hereinafter referred to as shoes, one of the most important considerations'is the fit of the shoe. A proper fit is essential not only from the utilitarian point of view but also from the standpoint. of appearance. Aside from the question of quality of materials a high grade ladys pump or slipper is distinguished primarily from one of an inferior grade by the character of comfort and ease which it affords the wearer, While at the same time conforming snugly to her foot. In accordance with the present practice much difficulty is experienced in making the top marginal edge of the upper of the shoe conform to and fit properly the wearers foot at the ankle, without at the same time causing this marginal edge to cut into the ankle particularly at the heelportion and also at the instep.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a shoe in' which the top marginal edge of the upper conforms properly and snugly to the wearers foot without cutting into it.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a shoe having the top marginal edge of its uppers providedboth with relatively yielding and non-yielding sections.

And finally it is an object of this invention I generally to improve shoe structures at the same time rendering them cheap to construct and highly satisfactory in use.

The manner in which the present invention is'carried out will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe embody ing the present invention, the upper being cut and turned down for the purposes of illustra- Qis fragmentary sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fi \1; n

part. I

Referring in detail to the drawing the shoe 10 is seen to comprise the usual'heel 11, sole 12 and upper 13. The upper 13 has a top marginal edge 14 which extends around the wearers foot and should fit the ankle and instep snugly. and the point 146 at the rear of the ankle above the heel are the two points where the upper most commonly cuts into the wearers foot. The problem is to make the portions intermediate of these points 14a and 14b sufficiently taut to prevent bulging without at the same time cutting the foot. To this end, a binding or tape 17 of a fabric woven and cut so'as to be relatively non-yielding is attached to the top edge of the upper as shown between the fabric apron l6 and the lining 15. The tape or binding 17 extends from a point 17a rearwardly around the shoe to a point 17 b where it is terminated, leaving the portion indicated by the reference numeral 20 free; The tape is attached either by stitches 18 or b an adhesive or by both.

It will thus he seen that the top marginal edge of the upper is rendered relatively nonyielding at the ortion thereof to which the tape is attache. The portion 20, however, is sufficiently yielding, through the elasticity of the upper material, to permit the desired yielding to prevent the upper from cutting the foot at the instep. I have found in ractice that a shoe constructed in accor ance with this invention fulfills the requirement of fit together with the requisite comfort to the wearer.

It will be understood, of course, that many changes in the specific preferred embodiment disclosed herein will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. For example, it is within the purview of my invention to insert a section of elastic or yielding tape or binding at the ortion 20 instead of omitting a binding entirely at this section. Also,

.it .1s possible to use a relatively yieldable binding or tape 17 extending over a portion only of the top marginaledge or extending completely around said. edge. I, therefore, do not intend to be limited by the preferred embodiment disclosed herein except as defined in the appended claims.

The point 14a at the instep Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In the method of making a low-cut shoe, associating a substantially non-stretchable tape with the top marginal edges of an upper and the lining thereof, with the tape extending from a point on one side of the instep portion of said edges, rearwardly around the heel portion to a point on the other side of said instep portion, and then performin the lasting operation, whereby stretching 0 said edges is substantially prevented duringthe lasting operation.

2. In the method of making a low-cut shoe, securing a substantially non-stretchable tape at the top marginal edge of the upper between the lining and the upper, with the tape extending from a point on one side of the instep portion of said edge rearwardly around the heel portion to a point on the other side of the instep portion, and then performin the lastin operation, whereby stretching 0 said edge is substantially prevented during the lasting operation.

MAX FEINSTEIN. 

